Monday, 11 February 2013

NYT: Worshipping At The Kumbh Mela

The New York Times is featuring a documentary movie on the Kumbh Mela, which is believed (and hyped) to be the largest religious gathering on earth. The Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years on the banks of the spot where the holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati meet.

The Kumbh Mela alternates between Nasik, Allahabad, Ujjain and Haridwar every three years. The one celebrated this year in Allahabad is the largest and holiest of them. It's erroneously reported and described by many media outlets as occurring every 144 years...this is false (even the BBC is mistaken). The Maha Kumbh Mela is the one that occurs every 144 years, and the last one was held in January 2001....so the Maha title definitely not this year's.

I attended the Maha Kumbh Mela in 2001 (I have a gallery on my website), and it was a mind-blowing experience which I describe as "rubbing shoulders with ascetic, sadhus, mendicants, mystics, charlatans, pilgrims, gurus and yogis".

I also read in The New York Times that unfortunately as many as 30 pilgrims were killed during a stampede at Allahabad train station. I recall the station well as I photographed some of the pilgrims arrivals and departures as well.

About The Travel Photographer

Based in New York City, I am a freelance photographer specializing in documenting endangered cultures
and traditional life ways of Asia, Latin America and Africa. My images, articles and photo features were published in various magazines, and my travel photographs were featured by some of the largest adventure travel companies in the United States and Great Britain, as well as in multinational corporations' art collections. My photographs have been acquired by a range of eclectic buyers; from the Standard Chartered’ Bank's permanent art collection to Spike TV.

I also organize and lead photo expeditions and workshops for photographers who share my enthusiasm for unusual cultures,
uncommon locations and lesser known festivals. I'm a faculty member at the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop, and give workshops at the Travel Photographer Society (Kuala Lumpur).